Living · Duels · 70 pairs · October 11, 2026
Two neighbouring areas per page, the pros and cons of each side by side, and the con that makes the choice.
70 duels of neighbouring or often-compared areas in Greater Montreal: for each pair, the pros and cons of each neighbourhood side by side, a head to head on transit, parks, schools, market, who it suits and who it does not, and the con that most often decides between the two. Montreal between boroughs, Laval and its neighbours, South Shore, North Shore, West Island and Vaudreuil-Soulanges. APCIQ figures for the second quarter of 2026, nothing added.
Each duel puts two neighbouring areas head to head: the pros and cons of each, a criterion-by-criterion table and the con that most often decides. The list gives the first con of each area; the rest is on the duel page. The pros and cons of each area on its own are in the pros and cons of all 53 neighbourhoods.
Montreal, between boroughs (32)
- the Plateau-Mont-Royal or Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie: the pros and cons. the Plateau-Mont-Royal: Parking is scarce and permit-regulated; living with one car takes patience, two cars is a headache. Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie: The detached house is the exception above a million; the supply is plexes and plex condos.
- the Plateau-Mont-Royal or downtown Montreal: the pros and cons. the Plateau-Mont-Royal: Parking is scarce and permit-regulated; living with one car takes patience, two cars is a headache. downtown Montreal: Tower condo fees (pool, gym, concierge) weigh heavily every month and rise with the building's age.
- the Plateau-Mont-Royal or Outremont: the pros and cons. the Plateau-Mont-Royal: Parking is scarce and permit-regulated; living with one car takes patience, two cars is a headache. Outremont: The price: a house costs close to two million and a condo $750,000, for prices that have barely moved in five years.
- the Plateau-Mont-Royal or Villeray, Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension: the pros and cons. the Plateau-Mont-Royal: Parking is scarce and permit-regulated; living with one car takes patience, two cars is a headache. Villeray, Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension: Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension remain dense and noisy near highway 40 and the Metropolitan, with an uneven housing stock.
- Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie or Villeray, Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension: the pros and cons. Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie: The detached house is the exception above a million; the supply is plexes and plex condos. Villeray, Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension: Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension remain dense and noisy near highway 40 and the Metropolitan, with an uneven housing stock.
- Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie or Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Mercier: the pros and cons. Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie: The detached house is the exception above a million; the supply is plexes and plex condos. Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Mercier: The neighbourhood is still changing: some streets are renovated, others not, and choosing the street matters as much as the house.
- Villeray, Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension or Ahuntsic-Cartierville: the pros and cons. Villeray, Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension: Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension remain dense and noisy near highway 40 and the Metropolitan, with an uneven housing stock. Ahuntsic-Cartierville: The median house exceeds $900,000: the entry point is the condo, and detached houses are contested.
- Villeray, Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension or Saint-Léonard: the pros and cons. Villeray, Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension: Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension remain dense and noisy near highway 40 and the Metropolitan, with an uneven housing stock. Saint-Léonard: No metro until the Blue Line opens: today, Saint-Léonard is lived by car and by bus on Jean-Talon.
- downtown Montreal or Montreal's Sud-Ouest: the pros and cons. downtown Montreal: Tower condo fees (pool, gym, concierge) weigh heavily every month and rise with the building's age. Montreal's Sud-Ouest: Griffintown: density, construction, few trees and schools, and new condos that resell slowly against the supply.
- downtown Montreal or Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Mercier: the pros and cons. downtown Montreal: Tower condo fees (pool, gym, concierge) weigh heavily every month and rise with the building's age. Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Mercier: The neighbourhood is still changing: some streets are renovated, others not, and choosing the street matters as much as the house.
- Montreal's Sud-Ouest or Verdun and on Nuns' Island: the pros and cons. Montreal's Sud-Ouest: Griffintown: density, construction, few trees and schools, and new condos that resell slowly against the supply. Verdun and on Nuns' Island: Verdun has become expensive: plexes and plex condos cost what a sought-after neighbourhood costs, and parking is hard near Wellington.
- Verdun and on Nuns' Island or LaSalle: the pros and cons. Verdun and on Nuns' Island: Verdun has become expensive: plexes and plex condos cost what a sought-after neighbourhood costs, and parking is hard near Wellington. LaSalle: Functional and vast, built for the car: few walkable shopping streets, boulevards and shopping centres.
- LaSalle or Lachine: the pros and cons. LaSalle: Functional and vast, built for the car: few walkable shopping streets, boulevards and shopping centres. Lachine: No metro: the Lachine train has few departures, and downtown requires a car or a long bus ride.
- Lachine or Dorval: the pros and cons. Lachine: No metro: the Lachine train has few departures, and downtown requires a car or a long bus ride. Dorval: Aircraft noise: some streets sit under the flight corridor, to be checked before offering.
- Outremont or Côte-des-Neiges: the pros and cons. Outremont: The price: a house costs close to two million and a condo $750,000, for prices that have barely moved in five years. Côte-des-Neiges: Dense and noisy on the arteries, with hard parking near the hospitals and the university.
- Côte-des-Neiges or Notre-Dame-de-Grâce: the pros and cons. Côte-des-Neiges: Dense and noisy on the arteries, with hard parking near the hospitals and the university. Notre-Dame-de-Grâce: A house costs $1.25 million: NDG is no longer an entry neighbourhood, and the plex condo is the alternative.
- Notre-Dame-de-Grâce or Montreal's Sud-Ouest: the pros and cons. Notre-Dame-de-Grâce: A house costs $1.25 million: NDG is no longer an entry neighbourhood, and the plex condo is the alternative. Montreal's Sud-Ouest: Griffintown: density, construction, few trees and schools, and new condos that resell slowly against the supply.
- Saint-Laurent or Ahuntsic-Cartierville: the pros and cons. Saint-Laurent: Vast and contrasted: industrial sectors, wide boulevards, few neighbourhood shopping streets; you get around by car. Ahuntsic-Cartierville: The median house exceeds $900,000: the entry point is the condo, and detached houses are contested.
- Saint-Laurent or Dollard-des-Ormeaux: the pros and cons. Saint-Laurent: Vast and contrasted: industrial sectors, wide boulevards, few neighbourhood shopping streets; you get around by car. Dollard-des-Ormeaux: DDO is lived by car and bus, between the boulevards: no waterfront, no old village, no train on foot.
- Ahuntsic-Cartierville or Montréal-Nord: the pros and cons. Ahuntsic-Cartierville: The median house exceeds $900,000: the entry point is the condo, and detached houses are contested. Montréal-Nord: No metro on foot: transit depends on the Pie-IX bus and the car, and downtown is far.
- Ahuntsic-Cartierville or Chomedey, Laval-des-Rapides and Pont-Viau: the pros and cons. Ahuntsic-Cartierville: The median house exceeds $900,000: the entry point is the condo, and detached houses are contested. Chomedey, Laval-des-Rapides and Pont-Viau: Urban and noisy on its boulevards (Saint-Martin, Le Corbusier, highway 15): quiet is found on the inner streets.
- Montréal-Nord or Saint-Léonard: the pros and cons. Montréal-Nord: No metro on foot: transit depends on the Pie-IX bus and the car, and downtown is far. Saint-Léonard: No metro until the Blue Line opens: today, Saint-Léonard is lived by car and by bus on Jean-Talon.
- Montréal-Nord or Rivière-des-Prairies and Pointe-aux-Trembles: the pros and cons. Montréal-Nord: No metro on foot: transit depends on the Pie-IX bus and the car, and downtown is far. Rivière-des-Prairies and Pointe-aux-Trembles: Far from downtown: without a car, trips are long and the Mascouche train has limited schedules.
- Saint-Léonard or Anjou: the pros and cons. Saint-Léonard: No metro until the Blue Line opens: today, Saint-Léonard is lived by car and by bus on Jean-Talon. Anjou: No metro until the Blue Line arrives: Anjou is lived by car, and the bus is the only public transit.
- Anjou or Rivière-des-Prairies and Pointe-aux-Trembles: the pros and cons. Anjou: No metro until the Blue Line arrives: Anjou is lived by car, and the bus is the only public transit. Rivière-des-Prairies and Pointe-aux-Trembles: Far from downtown: without a car, trips are long and the Mascouche train has limited schedules.
- Anjou or Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Mercier: the pros and cons. Anjou: No metro until the Blue Line arrives: Anjou is lived by car, and the bus is the only public transit. Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Mercier: The neighbourhood is still changing: some streets are renovated, others not, and choosing the street matters as much as the house.
- Pierrefonds-Roxboro or Dollard-des-Ormeaux: the pros and cons. Pierrefonds-Roxboro: Lived by car: no walkable shopping street, boulevards and shopping centres. Dollard-des-Ormeaux: DDO is lived by car and bus, between the boulevards: no waterfront, no old village, no train on foot.
- Dollard-des-Ormeaux or Pointe-Claire: the pros and cons. Dollard-des-Ormeaux: DDO is lived by car and bus, between the boulevards: no waterfront, no old village, no train on foot. Pointe-Claire: The entry price is high ($820,000 median) and the high end gets negotiated for a long time.
- Pointe-Claire or Dorval: the pros and cons. Pointe-Claire: The entry price is high ($820,000 median) and the high end gets negotiated for a long time. Dorval: Aircraft noise: some streets sit under the flight corridor, to be checked before offering.
- Pierrefonds-Roxboro or Île-Perrot, Pincourt and Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot: the pros and cons. Pierrefonds-Roxboro: Lived by car: no walkable shopping street, boulevards and shopping centres. Île-Perrot, Pincourt and Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot: The island is lived by car: a single bridge to the West Island, saturated at rush hour, and a train with limited schedules.
- Rivière-des-Prairies and Pointe-aux-Trembles or Repentigny: the pros and cons. Rivière-des-Prairies and Pointe-aux-Trembles: Far from downtown: without a car, trips are long and the Mascouche train has limited schedules. Repentigny: Repentigny looks east: working in the West Island or Laval means long trips.
- LaSalle or Châteauguay: the pros and cons. LaSalle: Functional and vast, built for the car: few walkable shopping streets, boulevards and shopping centres. Châteauguay: The Mercier Bridge rules: recurring roadwork, jams, and a single direct link to the island.
Laval and its neighbours (9)
- Chomedey, Laval-des-Rapides and Pont-Viau or Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac: the pros and cons. Chomedey, Laval-des-Rapides and Pont-Viau: Urban and noisy on its boulevards (Saint-Martin, Le Corbusier, highway 15): quiet is found on the inner streets. Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac: The Laval of wide-open spaces, not of services: everything is by car, and shops are far from residential streets.
- Chomedey, Laval-des-Rapides and Pont-Viau or Sainte-Rose, Vimont and Auteuil: the pros and cons. Chomedey, Laval-des-Rapides and Pont-Viau: Urban and noisy on its boulevards (Saint-Martin, Le Corbusier, highway 15): quiet is found on the inner streets. Sainte-Rose, Vimont and Auteuil: No metro: the Saint-Jérôme train has limited schedules, and downtown Montreal requires the car or train plus metro.
- Chomedey, Laval-des-Rapides and Pont-Viau or Duvernay: the pros and cons. Chomedey, Laval-des-Rapides and Pont-Viau: Urban and noisy on its boulevards (Saint-Martin, Le Corbusier, highway 15): quiet is found on the inner streets. Duvernay: No train or metro: Duvernay is lived by car, and the Pie-IX Bridge is saturated at rush hour.
- Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac or Fabreville: the pros and cons. Sainte-Dorothée, Laval-Ouest and Laval-sur-le-Lac: The Laval of wide-open spaces, not of services: everything is by car, and shops are far from residential streets. Fabreville: Functional, with no old village or shopping street: shops are on the boulevards and you get around by car.
- Fabreville or Sainte-Rose, Vimont and Auteuil: the pros and cons. Fabreville: Functional, with no old village or shopping street: shops are on the boulevards and you get around by car. Sainte-Rose, Vimont and Auteuil: No metro: the Saint-Jérôme train has limited schedules, and downtown Montreal requires the car or train plus metro.
- Sainte-Rose, Vimont and Auteuil or Duvernay: the pros and cons. Sainte-Rose, Vimont and Auteuil: No metro: the Saint-Jérôme train has limited schedules, and downtown Montreal requires the car or train plus metro. Duvernay: No train or metro: Duvernay is lived by car, and the Pie-IX Bridge is saturated at rush hour.
- Duvernay or Saint-François and Saint-Vincent-de-Paul: the pros and cons. Duvernay: No train or metro: Duvernay is lived by car, and the Pie-IX Bridge is saturated at rush hour. Saint-François and Saint-Vincent-de-Paul: Rural and quiet: no train, no metro, no condos or shopping street; everything is by car.
- Sainte-Rose, Vimont and Auteuil or Boisbriand and Sainte-Thérèse: the pros and cons. Sainte-Rose, Vimont and Auteuil: No metro: the Saint-Jérôme train has limited schedules, and downtown Montreal requires the car or train plus metro. Boisbriand and Sainte-Thérèse: House supply is the thinnest on the North Shore (96 listings): little choice and multiple offers.
- Saint-François and Saint-Vincent-de-Paul or Terrebonne: the pros and cons. Saint-François and Saint-Vincent-de-Paul: Rural and quiet: no train, no metro, no condos or shopping street; everything is by car. Terrebonne: Highway 25 to Montreal is tolled, and the Pie-IX Bridge is saturated at rush hour.
South Shore (19)
- Brossard or Longueuil: the pros and cons. Brossard: A recent city without an old centre: few mature trees, boulevards and shopping centres rather than a main street. Longueuil: An old stock that renews itself through renovation: little new construction, pre-1960 houses to maintain.
- Brossard or Saint-Lambert: the pros and cons. Brossard: A recent city without an old centre: few mature trees, boulevards and shopping centres rather than a main street. Saint-Lambert: The entry price is high and there is no new construction: you buy a pre-1960 stock, to maintain, often without a double garage.
- Brossard or La Prairie: the pros and cons. Brossard: A recent city without an old centre: few mature trees, boulevards and shopping centres rather than a main street. La Prairie: The train station is in Candiac and the REM in Brossard: for the daily train, you need a car first.
- Brossard or Saint-Hubert: the pros and cons. Brossard: A recent city without an old centre: few mature trees, boulevards and shopping centres rather than a main street. Saint-Hubert: No pedestrian downtown: Saint-Hubert is lived by car and bike, between boulevards and shopping centres.
- Longueuil or Saint-Lambert: the pros and cons. Longueuil: An old stock that renews itself through renovation: little new construction, pre-1960 houses to maintain. Saint-Lambert: The entry price is high and there is no new construction: you buy a pre-1960 stock, to maintain, often without a double garage.
- Longueuil or Saint-Hubert: the pros and cons. Longueuil: An old stock that renews itself through renovation: little new construction, pre-1960 houses to maintain. Saint-Hubert: No pedestrian downtown: Saint-Hubert is lived by car and bike, between boulevards and shopping centres.
- Longueuil or Boucherville: the pros and cons. Longueuil: An old stock that renews itself through renovation: little new construction, pre-1960 houses to maintain. Boucherville: Boucherville is lived by car: no train or metro, and the tunnel-bridge or highway 20 at rush hour.
- Saint-Hubert or Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville: the pros and cons. Saint-Hubert: No pedestrian downtown: Saint-Hubert is lived by car and bike, between boulevards and shopping centres. Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville: The budget: a house costs $800,000 and up, and the entry level is contested within 20 days.
- Boucherville or Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville: the pros and cons. Boucherville: Boucherville is lived by car: no train or metro, and the tunnel-bridge or highway 20 at rush hour. Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville: The budget: a house costs $800,000 and up, and the entry level is contested within 20 days.
- Boucherville or Sainte-Julie and Varennes: the pros and cons. Boucherville: Boucherville is lived by car: no train or metro, and the tunnel-bridge or highway 20 at rush hour. Sainte-Julie and Varennes: No train or metro: both cities are lived by car, via highways 20 and 30.
- Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville or Sainte-Julie and Varennes: the pros and cons. Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville: The budget: a house costs $800,000 and up, and the entry level is contested within 20 days. Sainte-Julie and Varennes: No train or metro: both cities are lived by car, via highways 20 and 30.
- Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville or Beloeil and Mont-Saint-Hilaire: the pros and cons. Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville: The budget: a house costs $800,000 and up, and the entry level is contested within 20 days. Beloeil and Mont-Saint-Hilaire: The valley is lived by car and train: no metro, and the Mont-Saint-Hilaire train runs at peak hours only.
- Sainte-Julie and Varennes or Beloeil and Mont-Saint-Hilaire: the pros and cons. Sainte-Julie and Varennes: No train or metro: both cities are lived by car, via highways 20 and 30. Beloeil and Mont-Saint-Hilaire: The valley is lived by car and train: no metro, and the Mont-Saint-Hilaire train runs at peak hours only.
- Beloeil and Mont-Saint-Hilaire or Chambly: the pros and cons. Beloeil and Mont-Saint-Hilaire: The valley is lived by car and train: no metro, and the Mont-Saint-Hilaire train runs at peak hours only. Chambly: No train: the trip to Montreal depends on highway 10 and the Champlain Bridge, saturated at rush hour.
- Chambly or Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu: the pros and cons. Chambly: No train: the trip to Montreal depends on highway 10 and the Champlain Bridge, saturated at rush hour. Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu: Some forty kilometres of highway and no train: working downtown Montreal every day without a car is not realistic.
- La Prairie or Candiac: the pros and cons. La Prairie: The train station is in Candiac and the REM in Brossard: for the daily train, you need a car first. Candiac: There is almost nothing under $400,000: the entry level is the condo, and it is rare.
- Candiac or Saint-Constant, Delson and Sainte-Catherine: the pros and cons. Candiac: There is almost nothing under $400,000: the entry level is the condo, and it is rare. Saint-Constant, Delson and Sainte-Catherine: Lived by car and train: no dense city or lively old village.
- La Prairie or Saint-Constant, Delson and Sainte-Catherine: the pros and cons. La Prairie: The train station is in Candiac and the REM in Brossard: for the daily train, you need a car first. Saint-Constant, Delson and Sainte-Catherine: Lived by car and train: no dense city or lively old village.
- Saint-Constant, Delson and Sainte-Catherine or Châteauguay: the pros and cons. Saint-Constant, Delson and Sainte-Catherine: Lived by car and train: no dense city or lively old village. Châteauguay: The Mercier Bridge rules: recurring roadwork, jams, and a single direct link to the island.
North Shore (6)
- Boisbriand and Sainte-Thérèse or Blainville: the pros and cons. Boisbriand and Sainte-Thérèse: House supply is the thinnest on the North Shore (96 listings): little choice and multiple offers. Blainville: No entry price: the affordable house has become rare, and so have condos.
- Blainville or Mirabel: the pros and cons. Blainville: No entry price: the affordable house has become rare, and so have condos. Mirabel: No train or dense town: Mirabel is lived by car between sectors separated by fields.
- Mirabel or Saint-Jérôme: the pros and cons. Mirabel: No train or dense town: Mirabel is lived by car between sectors separated by fields. Saint-Jérôme: Downtown Montreal is far: the train is long and so is highway 15 at rush hour.
- Boisbriand and Sainte-Thérèse or Mirabel: the pros and cons. Boisbriand and Sainte-Thérèse: House supply is the thinnest on the North Shore (96 listings): little choice and multiple offers. Mirabel: No train or dense town: Mirabel is lived by car between sectors separated by fields.
- Terrebonne or Mascouche: the pros and cons. Terrebonne: Highway 25 to Montreal is tolled, and the Pie-IX Bridge is saturated at rush hour. Mascouche: Little charm or village life: a new city lived by car, with little choice (109 listings).
- Terrebonne or Repentigny: the pros and cons. Terrebonne: Highway 25 to Montreal is tolled, and the Pie-IX Bridge is saturated at rush hour. Repentigny: Repentigny looks east: working in the West Island or Laval means long trips.
West Island and Vaudreuil-Soulanges (4)
- Île-Perrot, Pincourt and Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot or Vaudreuil-Dorion: the pros and cons. Île-Perrot, Pincourt and Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot: The island is lived by car: a single bridge to the West Island, saturated at rush hour, and a train with limited schedules. Vaudreuil-Dorion: A new city without village charm: life is by car between neighbourhoods and big-box stores.
- Vaudreuil-Dorion or Saint-Lazare and Hudson: the pros and cons. Vaudreuil-Dorion: A new city without village charm: life is by car between neighbourhoods and big-box stores. Saint-Lazare and Hudson: Lived by car: the Hudson train is rare, and there are no condos or services on foot.
- Vaudreuil-Dorion or Saint-Zotique, Les Cèdres and Coteau-du-Lac: the pros and cons. Vaudreuil-Dorion: A new city without village charm: life is by car between neighbourhoods and big-box stores. Saint-Zotique, Les Cèdres and Coteau-du-Lac: A string of villages lived by car: no train, no condos, no services on foot.
- Pointe-Claire or Saint-Laurent: the pros and cons. Pointe-Claire: The entry price is high ($820,000 median) and the high end gets negotiated for a long time. Saint-Laurent: Vast and contrasted: industrial sectors, wide boulevards, few neighbourhood shopping streets; you get around by car.
How to read these duels
The pros come from our neighbourhood guides (transit, parks, shops, schools, setting, entry price); the cons come from what buyers report to us after the visits (highway or train noise, parking, distance, old housing stock, flood zones, condo fees, taxes, thin supply). A duel does not name a winner: it says what compromise each area asks for, and the one you accept more easily chooses for you. The figures are those published by the APCIQ; we add none.
Frequently asked questions
Why compare neighbouring areas?
Because it is between neighbours that buyers really hesitate: same commute, same budget within a few tens of thousands of dollars, but not the same transit, not the same noise, not the same housing stock. The difference comes down to one or two criteria, and the duel isolates them.
Where are the prices and days on market?
In our "where to buy" duels and in each city's price pages, linked from every duel; here we compare everyday life, not only the market.
My pair is not here?
We publish the pairs of areas where we have a "Living in" guide on each side. A broker from the team gives you the same comparison for any pair.
Our proof, not our promises
The Loaa & Manseur team, led by Lotfi Manseur and Loaa Al Daow, is the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 of large residential teams according to the official RE/MAX ranking, computed on actual transactions. Its Google profile counts more than 220 reviews with a 4.9 rating. Its offices are at 55 avenue de l'Équinoxe in Brossard, one bridge from the island, and every broker's licence can be checked in the OACIQ public register. Three things to verify yourself before calling us, and to demand of any other broker.
Also available in French: version française de ce guide.
Published September 7, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.